Nothing is more gratifying than being mentioned by your own peers as a 'respected metal writer', together with some of the most influential people in the international metal scene.

ShutterBLAST's founder Audrey DUJARDIN is proud to announce that she has been cited alongside BRAVE WORDS AND BLOODY KNUCKLES Editor Martin POPOFF and ROCK HARD editor Goetz KUEHNEMUND as an answer to the question "Who are some other metal writers that you respect?".

Esteemed colleague and opinion leader Carl BEGAI was interviewed by Chad BOWAR about his new book, entitled "Fire and Fame'.

Read excerpt Below: (interview conducted by Chad Bowar)

Who are some other metal writers that you respect?

It’ll sound like I’m looking for points with the boss, but my BW&BK colleague/editor Martin Popoff for one. The amount of quality work the guy puts out is mindblowing. If he likes a band or artist his stories are always fun to read, and when it comes to reviews he really is second to none. His enthusiasm or disdain for an album bleeds off the page. On top of his own writing for the mag he edits the BW&BK staff’s work, turns out some very strong books every year, and manages to balance family life. And that’s only the stuff I’m aware of. He has to be working 24/7; I wish I had that kind of drive.

Goetz Kuehnemund, the editor-in-chief for Germany’s Rock Hard Magazine is another. The guy has been in the spotlight for the past 20 years in Germany and is as much of a celebrity to some European metal fans as the artists he covers, but he’s completely down to earth. He really is the ultimate metal fan. At the same time, he has no qualms about taking his favorite bands to task if he feels they’ve somehow ripped the fans off. I have loads of respect for the guy and wish his stuff was published in English so people could see what I mean. I translated part of an interview he did with Manowar’s Joey DeMaio a few years back because it was begging to be shared. You canfind it here (keep in mind that Goetz has been a Manowar fan forever).

The third is a twentysomething French-American concert photographer by the name of Audrey Dujardin. She does freelance work for a few publications but her main focus is the website she founded, ShutterBLAST.net. I dabble in concert photography, so I’m impressed by the way she’s developing as an artist. Anyone can point and shoot, but you see some of her work and you know there was an eye and a brain involved, not just the camera. She recently did a “don’t say a word” interview with the Swiss folk metal band Eluveitie, asking questions and using the reactions/poses she got as her answers, and I was impressed by the end result. I’m looking forward to seeing how she develops, no pun intended.

29.01.2009. RASKASTA JOULUA - All Star Finnish band live at Tavastia for Christmas Special.

Immediately after covering the Satyricon tour and the Darkest Tour with Cradle of Filth, Gorgoroth and Moonspell 2 nights in a row, ShutterBLAST flew straight to Helsinki to cover the new craze: the all-star FInnish Band RASKASTA JOULUA, formed by Erkka KORHONEN in 2005. This rotating touring band features Finnish all-star musicians and singers, who cover 'heavy versions' of classic Finnish and international Christmas songs.

Below are the singers present at the TAVASTIA show in Helsinki on the 21st of December 2008.